6th Independent Heavy Battery

The 6th Independent Heavy Battery , RBCA is an independent battery of the BC Army, and is the rocket artillery unit of the Royal Regiment of British Columbia Artillery. Although formally the single-battery unit is designated an active force formation, only A Troop is actually active force; B Troop is manned by members of the Militia.

Some ranks in Royal BC Artillery units are different from those in other Army units. Specifically, in in all units of the Royal Regiment of British Columbia Artillery a Private is called a Gunner (Gnr), a Lance Corporal is called a Lance Bombardier (L Bdr) and a Corporal is called a Bombardier (Bdr).

History
The Independent Heavy Artillery Battery was established at Vernon in 1920 as part of the large reorganisation of BC's artillery units that year, as an independent field unit subordinate to divisional or corps-level command - the battery being foreseen from its inception as one that would be amongst the first BC units to deploy to the service of the Empire wherever needed.

As such, the battery was amongst the first units mobilised after BC's declaration of war in 1939, and was the first unit to arrive in the United Kingdom in 1940. From there it was deployed to North Africa and later Italy, where it fought until the end of the war.

On its return from Europe in 1946 the battery's HQ was moved from Vernon to Prince George. In 1952 it was deployed to Malaya as part of BC's contribution to Commonwealth efforts during the Malayan Emergency, and it remained there until 1955, when it was deployed to Egypt. It remained there throughout the Suez Crisis, and only late in 1956 did it return to BC.

In 1979 the battery transitioned from towed heavy artillery to multiple rocket launchers, becoming the rocket artillery unit it is today. The 203 mm field guns were retained until 1983, however, with B Troop training on those until their final withdrawal; since then, the entire unit trains exclusively with the rockets.

In 1990 the 6th was deployed to Saudi Arabia as part of Operation Hastings, BC's contribution to Operation Desert Storm, and upon its return to BC after that war its HQ was once again moved, this time to its current home at Kitimat. In 2001 it was the second BC unit to deploy to Afghanistan.

Battle Honours

 * Second World War: (multiple)
 * Malaya 1952-55
 * Suez Canal 1956
 * Operation Hastings 1990-91

Equipment

 * BL 60-pounder field gun (127 mm) (1920-1941)
 * 8-inch Gun M1 field gun (203 mm) (1941-1983)
 * LARS (1979-2007) - 110 mm multiple rocket launcher (36 tubes) on Hayes HD truck chassis
 * Whirlwind Mk. I (2009 to date) - 300 mm multiple rocket launcher (12 tubes) on MAZ-79111 chassis
 * Tornado Mk. I (2013 to date) - airmobile 300 mm multiple rocket launcher (6 tubes) on Bedford VA chassis

Regimental Alliances

 * Australia Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery
 * Canada Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery
 * India Regiment of Artillery
 * New Zealand Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery
 * Rhodesia Royal Regiment of Rhodesian Artillery
 * South Africa South African Artillery Corps
 * United Kingdom Royal Regiment of Artillery